September 4, 2010

Emily Wang – beauty journalist in London – wrote an interesting article about various aspects of fingernails, including: beauty tips, a basic review of the nail structure, changes in nail color & texture, and… the meaning of fingernail types according traditional Chinese medicine!

“Interestingly enough- according to Traditional Chinese Medicine,
our nails are also able to portray our innate constitutions.

If your nail shape is naturally:

Oblong – You are harmonious and well-balanced.Stock and square – You are earthy and balanced but mentally rigid.Long – You are artistic and creative but lack physical strength.Oval – You are sensitive and have a weak digestive system.

I used to have artificial nails, acrylic nails and gel nails consistently for two years that I never got to see my natural nails until I decided to take them off for good. My nails became so weak that they felt and bended like paper. At some point they became sensitive to touch, and were unable to grow to a normal standard length before it eventually chipped away.

It therefore took a good year before they even came close to regaining to a healthy state. During this time I had to be mentally aware of what I ate, and made sure that I had substantial amount of vitamins and nutrients that were essential for healthy nail growth.

I am writing from experience. I know what it is like to have that moment where at the time, having fake nails is beautiful. Going to a nail salon, and getting your nails done feels like luxury.
But think about it. Can you really have fake nails for the rest of your life?

The answer is no. And that is why I had decided to be more natural and love my nails as they are. I have learnt to take really good care of my nails, and as my grandmother has always said to me – that “a woman’s fortune depends on her hands and feet.”

Not that I believe in it, but at least now my fingernails look and feel healthy- without needing to spend money doing it up

A little side note…. my younger sister had a “cheese on toast” addiction for a couple of months where she ate it for breakfast before going to school almost everyday. Luckily, because of our family genes, she did not gain any weight from it whatsoever, however we all noticed that her nails improved drastically. She is the only person I know that has the strongest, healthiest looking nails. Extremely envious! I don’t think I could eat cheese on toast everyday…… maybe jacket potatoes!

September 28, 2009

Men’s nails generally grow faster than women’s nails and tend to be stronger. However, their increased surface area makes them prone to trauma from bumps and bangs. Because lot’s of men never really learned how to use their hands and fingernails Dr. Daryl K. Hoffman (US plastic surgeon) compiled a TOP 10 of skin & fingernail tips – for men only!

– 1 –“Do not bite your fingernails. Fingernail biting can break the skin, spread germs to your mouth and hands, and lead to infections. Trim nails with a nail clipper, instead!”

– 2 –“Apply sunscreen everyday, especially if you work outdoors. Sunscreen will protect you from UV rays, that will age and weather your skin, and can lessen the harsh effect of the wind on your face!”

– 3 –
“Use moisturizer after shaving. This will soothe and smooth out your skin!”

– 4 –
“If you are losing your hair, opt for a shorter haircut. Going short can disguise balding, and makes you look much younger than the old-fashioned comb-over!”

– 5 –
“Make sure your face is clean. Men’s skin is about 15% oilier than women’s, and has larger pores. This means it is even more important to wash your face everyday. Stay away from harsh scrubs and scented soaps as they might irritate your skin!”

– 6 –
“Use a skin toner, like aftershave lotion, to reduce the size of your pores. This will help keep your skin looking younger and healthier!”

– 7 –
“Antioxidants are great for your skin. You do not need to get them from supplements; eating fruits and vegetables, like oranges and spinach, everyday will help reduce signs of aging!”

– 8 –
“Exfoliating once a week will minimize ingrown hairs, rid you of dead skin cells, and help give your face a cleaner, fresher look!”

– 9 –
“Do not forget about your lips. Use a lip balm with at least SPF 15 to protect them from sun-damaging, drying out, and cracking!”

– 10 –
“Drink eight glasses of water everyday. It is the best way to keep the skin all over your body hydrated!”

Dr. Hoffman is a Stanford University trained certified plastic surgeon – accridited by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Hoffman utilizes the latest advances in cosmetic procedures to help people achieve their body care goals. Dr. Hoffman is committed to providing his clients with personalized care in a warm atmosphere with the highest regard for quality and medical safety.

September 2, 2009

If you’re female long fingernails enhance your appeal! People recognize long fingernails as a sign of beauty and vitality and many feel that long finger nails are sexy as well. But most important is that your fingernails should be kept hygenically wisely. So, before you start any experiment with your fingernails, you should know what might not be best for your nails’ health. Polished fingernails might help your looks, but actually the process will make the nails become thinner and fragile. In short: when it comes to the health of your finger nails, you should always try to take deep care!!

Msn lifestyle recommends only 4 tools that benefit the health of your fingernails: the nail brush, a nail file, a moisturiser, and strengthening products.

– Tip 1 –“Be careful when trimming or filing them. When your nails get damaged, you’ll have to wait for months before you can re-grow regular nails again. A nail drill can file your nails faster than the typical nail file but they can also damage your cuticles.”

– Tip 2 –“Make sure you are checking the length of your nails. As much as you want to look like those sexy nail care models, you also don’t want your nails to break or crack.”

– Tip 3 –“Clean them regularly. Often this can be accomplished by washing your hands. After doing any work that involves dirt getting under your nails, be sure to clean them as soon possible by using a nail brush dipped into soap and water and gently scrubbing under and on top of your nails.”

– Tip 4 –“Avoid nail biting by rubbing something bad tasting on them to help prevent you from biting, like mustard or nail polish.”

– Tip 5 –“The most important mineral for your nails is Silicon. A good herbal combination for you nails is horsetail, rosemary, hyssop, aloe vera(juice), ginkgo biloba and kelp. Other nutrients that are important for healthy nails are Zinc, vitamin E, C and calcium/magnesium with vitamin D.”

– Tip 6 –“Drink lots of water. This will keep your hands, cuticles, and fingernails hydrated. Fingernails absorb water 100 time faster than skin, so they lose water just as fast.”

– Tip 7 –“Let your nails breathe. If you wear nail polish a lot, it doesn’t allow for your nails to breathe. So for a few days a week, get rid of the nail polish.”

– Tip 8 –“Find a good moisturizer for your nails. This goes along with keeping your nails hydrated. Not only does it work on your cuticles, but your nails too.”

– Tip 9 –“Stop cutting your nails. When you use a fingernail clipper, it causes tiny fracture in your nails that make your fingernails more prone to chipping and peeling. Instead, file your nails down. Filing once a week should keep them down nicely. Of course if your nail tears, cutting it down until there’s no tear is needed.”

– Tip 10 –“Cut your nails while they are wet if you must cut them. This will make breakage and damage less of a problem.”

August 11, 2009

Fingernail disorders in the hands of the elderly are actually quite normal. One could say that Elderly people carry the last 6 months of their medical record on the approximately 10 square centimeters of keratin comprising the fingernails!

Abnormalities of the nail are often caused by skin disease and fungal infection. But fingernail disorders may also indicate more general medical conditions.

When examing the nails it is useful to follow a sequence including these steps:

August 4, 2009

Many people consider fingernail disorders merely as a ‘cosmetic problem’, nevertheless fingernails provide important signs related to your health. Let’s take a look at the fingernails of children!

The long version of this article describes the normal development of fingernails during childhood, including some ‘normal’ nail disorders (which are usually harmless) + an overview of the ‘serious’ nail problems in infants & children.